Today, we talked with Dirk Daveline, a recipient of a Catalyst Cornerstone Award at the Community Foundation Awards. This award recognizes those who inspire and drive transformative processes around them for GMCF’s benefit. During our discussion, we dove into Dirk's journey, exploring his involvement with Big Brothers Big Sisters, his views on philanthropy, and his advice to prospective board members.
Today, we talked with Dirk Daveline, a recipient of a Catalyst Cornerstone Award at the Community Foundation Awards. This award recognizes those who inspire and drive transformative processes around them for GMCF’s benefit. During our discussion, we dove into Dirk's journey, exploring his involvement with Big Brothers Big Sisters, his views on philanthropy, and his advice to prospective board members.
Welcome to Philanthropy Today. We're excited to share information on ways you can support the charitable causes of your choice. My name is Vern Hendricks and I look forward to being with you today on our GMCF Philanthropy Today podcast series. Welcome to Philanthropy Today. We're excited to bring to you our 25th anniversary series of our cornerstone awardees from the Greater Manhattan Community Foundation, and today's guest is one of those awardees Dirk Davelein.
Speaker 2:Thank you, Vern, for having me here to share some more thoughts on this particular award in this particular category.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we're excited to hear from you and obviously when we gave you the award at the annual meeting, we talked a lot about the Community Foundation, but today I'm interested in learning more about Dirk Daveline.
Speaker 2:So first of all tell us a little bit about yourself professionally. What do you do? I am the CFO for SPS Companies. Sps Companies is a holding company of eight different steel distribution, manufacturing and fabrication companies across the United States and in Mexico. Our largest, and the brand that everybody knows, is Steel and Pipe Supply. It's a company that started in 1933 with the Goldstein family. I started working there as a controller in 1993. And after 10 years I was fortunate to be able to move up to the CFO and have had 21 wonderful growth years as a CFO. And I am the husband to Sherry and the father of Tyler, a recently added employee of Steel and Pipe Supply, and father of Amber Sober, who is bringing our first grandchild into the world here in another 60 days.
Speaker 1:Outstanding. Well, those are all parts of you that we like to know about. So, as you've gone through life, who do you feel has had the biggest impact in your life or where you're at today?
Speaker 2:Two different people, two different stages. The first certainly was my father. You learn different stages. The first certainly was my father. You learn what you see in my father for his career, the last 30 years from 1977 to 2007,. He was the head of the Chamber of Commerce in Hutchinson but certainly hit me at the time period of moving to Hutchinson at the age of 12 and starting to get into the teen years, where you start developing more about who you are and how you can have an impact on things. Watching what my father and mother did to help the community, I think was something that really stayed with me through college. Maybe added in college the involvement I had with the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, where one of your goals is to be involved in your community.
Speaker 2:And that kind of led into. Really the second influential person in my life, phil Broknicki. Phil Broknicki was the president of First National Bank. First Savings Bank, helped that bank grow to wonderful heights. Bank for savings bank helped that bank grow to wonderful heights. Really, coming out of college he was my first boss as I was an auditor at the bank. As an auditor I met Dennis Mullen of Steel and Pipe Supply. I started learning a little bit more about Steel and Pipe Supply but at the same point was a commercial banker auditor that moved into commercial banking and Phil made it very clear that as bankers it's our job to get involved in the banking.
Speaker 2:And you know, phil made it very clear that as bankers it's our job to get involved in the community and that's really probably the push from an adult side of me of the hows and the whys I've done what I've done so much of Several years. After being at the bank in 1993, I went to work for Dennis Mullen, actually went to work for Phil Broknicki, who had left the bank to go to work at Steel and Pipe Supply. So having both those individuals, who both cared about the community, as adult mentors really is, I think, what pushed me through the last 30 years.
Speaker 1:It's always interesting to find out the path of someone's life and how those impacts kind of played the decisions that you make as a growing and adult in the process, and obviously involvement in the community has been a big part of that. That's really interesting. So what do you like to do in your spare time?
Speaker 2:Well, my wife always tries to fill it with things around the house. I finally, a year ago, came to the realization that I'm no longer doing yard work. I'm contracting that stuff out because I wanted to get more rounds of golf in.
Speaker 2:So, my love of golf is probably a pastime, that's, let's say, a daytime and evening time pastime. Morning pastime is racquetball and tennis. There you go. Outside of that involvement with Big Brothers and Big Sisters. That was really the first organization that I got involved with, really the first organization that I got involved with. In 1989, I had a little who was a fifth grader at the time and watched him get into junior college. In 1998, I picked up a second grader and he's in his thirties now owns his own business. Wonderful, wonderful individual. And just recently, within the last year, I picked up another individual that is a fourth grader this year. And the goal with all of those is just to fill that void. And sure, I'm still active as an alumni with the local fraternity and I've got other philanthropic endeavors. Boards that I'm on, that's expected. Being on community boards is expected and it's where you can share the hows and the whys you think might improve, whatever their organization is. The joys in life come with the interactions of people and for me it's youth.
Speaker 1:So would you say, the Big Brothers and Big Sisters was the first really charitable cause that you kind of got involved with.
Speaker 2:It was it certainly was, and it ended up evolving onto the board and held many different positions on the board with Evan Howe and Bill Barr, and I think it was through the United Way that I ultimately got kicked off of the Big Brothers board, because I had been on there for 10 years and they said, hey, we need to have some fresh blood on the board and time for you to get off in order to get funding from it. So I just kind of said, okay, I'll get off.
Speaker 1:So what has been part of your life on being on boards? You've been on several of them. What would you say has been one of the things that you would advise people, if they're ever on a charitable board, to as their responsibilities or what they should prepare themselves for? I think you're there.
Speaker 2:You were asked to be on that board because you're bringing something. There's either something within that space that they're on or what you do to push buttons. That's why you're there. Don't never, ever ever, can you just be an attendee. If you're on a board, be active, be present. If you can't do that, then don't feel like you have to stay Right, because if you're not bringing any value, there's other volunteers, particularly in this community, that can and will do things. I mean, that's one of the loves that I have about Manhattan is at all ages, yeah, you can get involved. We have an entirely different setup than if you were 22 years old and you went to Overland park.
Speaker 2:Right, I'm not sure that there's a lot of ways that you can touch and learn and see as many people at all levels of the spectrum and feel as if your words on a board are meaningful.
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, and that's a. So our community foundation work with our trustees. You know, one of the requirements that I always share is, hey, I want you to demonstrate philanthropy to a cause that you love and enjoy and want to be engaged with, and I want to see your demonstrated volunteerism. You know, those are the qualifications to be a trustee around here, and that's why it's great. We don't want to try to make philanthropists or make volunteers. We want them to have that come from their system, from their parents or from their mentors or classmates or whatever, and so you've certainly epitomized that, and thus the Cornerstone Award. It's great. How did you first learn about the Community Foundation?
Speaker 2:So I made a quick reference to the United Way and at that particular point in time I was on the United Way board as part of, certainly getting off of Big Brothers, had been on the trust company that I had heard about, namely because United Way was looking at doing exactly what Jim Morrison had done for many other organizations, and that is set up a foundation, and so if there was something to happen, I thought that would be the place that we could learn how to get things going. And certainly what didn't happen is the United Way did not need to set up its own foundation. They just needed to deposit some funds here and ultimately it can be the collecting point for many dollars and it has for all the different organizations that have money, whether it comes in just from Grow Green or ultimately, if the United Way is my passion, I want to leave money. Just hit their fund here.
Speaker 1:Yep, and when you reference Grow Green, you're talking about our annual match day. We call it Grow Green Match Day because it's always on Earth Days. So you've referenced several nonprofits. So I think, for our listeners, you've been involved in a lot of things, dirk. You're not even going to remember them all, I'm sure, but just share some of the nonprofits and the charitable causes that you've been involved with in your life.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I would say they've been many from the early stages of the Teen Center before it was Boys and Girls Club was on that with Rob Stitt. Certainly I mentioned Big Brothers, big Sisters. Had a time period where food became a focus of mine it's now an additional focus, but it was on the breadbasket board. Had a time period when my kids were growing up, were doing some things within the church and so I got involved in the youth programs of the church and spun that one back out. Had a nice 15-year run at Meadowlark Foundation as well as Meadowlark Operating Board. Meadowlark is one of those true treasures that we have in Manhattan and unless you've been on that campus I don't think you understand how vibrant it is for the people there. But for me it's about filling time. I can't just go home on the weekend and binge Netflix.
Speaker 2:Maybe I'll do that once or twice a year but, I've got time, I've got energy, so helping out has been just something that brings me joy.
Speaker 1:You know you're such a humble guy, dirk, and you're a quiet guy. Maybe that's the accountant or auditor in you too, but you've referenced all the way from young children to aging adults in their last years of their life that you've been involved with. It's a very unique part of you, that's special, and so that's why you got the Cornerstone Award for what we've seen you do so much in life and to make our community a better place. So we congratulate you on that again.
Speaker 2:Thank you, it's just a great, great award. Again. I'm so appreciative of you and the committee who came up with many awards. I think I was first to respond to your comment about awards and I said there's two awards that need to be given out Jim Gordon and Jim Morrison. Mark was just kind of a facilitator, but those are the two guys. All we need to do is thank them of a facilitator.
Speaker 2:But those are the two guys. All we need to do is thank them and, of course, I say that from probably a perspective that I would bet most recipients. People do things because they want to help. They don't do things for an award If. I'm doing something just for personal satisfaction or gratification. I'm kind of messed up.
Speaker 1:Well, you certainly don't do it that way. So I and that's the appreciative part and you're always there for people. I mean you got a busy job and obviously you have a family and there's things to do, but you find time to help people and you're a good thinker. I mean it doesn't take you long to provide good advice to people and we're grateful for that. What advice do you have for others who might be considering making a charitable gift or getting involved with a charitable organization?
Speaker 2:Find out if the direction that they're going is something that you can sign on with. If it's something you believe in, you won't have a problem writing a check and you won't have a problem getting involved. I didn't jump immediately into Big Brothers, big Sisters. I had a co-worker who was a recent big and I said, hey, can I tag along with one of these weekends with your activities? And you know, I went around and I could see how this individual, who I knew from work in one way, was a different individual and it was seeing that that I said maybe there's something that can bring out some good in me by helping out. And so find out if you're going to fit and if you are great, get involved and jump in with two feet early and stay as long as they'll keep you.
Speaker 2:If you don't have the love and you don't have the passion, you won't make it, they'll keep you. If you don't have the love and you don't have the passion, you won't make it. One of the challenges that Big Brothers has is we always have kids on the waiting list, and we have that because we don't get enough college-aged kids who have a commitment to go longer than a 12-month period of time and they're doing it for the wrong reasons. They're doing it because they think they need to have some community service written up for their resume. Well, people that are already in the workforce, they don't need a resume.
Speaker 2:They just need to look for satisfaction.
Speaker 1:Well, and I tell our young trustees a lot of times that I said you know, listen, I'm not interested in building your resume, I'm interested in enhancing your heart and the ability to make a difference. So I totally understand what you're saying and agree with you. Know, with our Cornerstone Awards, they were based on the individuals that made the greatest impact in our first 25 years, and so we were excited to say thank you in so many ways. What's the next 25 years for the Community Foundation in your eyes? You were there at the beginning and you're there 25 years. What's next?
Speaker 2:I think the next position is going to happen Because of the asset sizes that we've built and the dollars that we're going to start having an impact on.
Speaker 2:Where the community foundation is going to be landowners or you're going to be facilitators, like you've been on the child care program. The community foundation is going to be the place where people say, well, we've got to get things done. How do we get it done? Where people say, well, we got to get things done, how do we get it done? We go to the community foundation. They help make it happen because they've got the assets to be able to bring all the right parties to the table and make it happen. If we need a new business park, it might end up being a perfect thing, through the community foundation, for setting up the next stage, and that's economic development that bleeds then into higher quality life, but those are things that it took us a while to get the assets. The assets yield returns. Returns have to be spent in some form or fashion, and reinvestment in this community is really where all the donors are looking for.
Speaker 1:Well, this has been great. I've asked you a series of questions from beginning to end. Here a little bit. Is there anything that I haven't asked you that you would like to share today?
Speaker 2:Do I see myself continuing with the community foundation? Absolutely. Part of Steel and Pipe Supply is getting its people engaged. My son now is back at Steel and Pipe Supply. He's going to get more and more engaged in the community. Steel and Pipe has many, many young talent that needs to take their time and get engaged in the community. But certainly I don't have retirement on my horizon at Steel and Pipe Supply Over the next 25 years I look to be even more active within the community foundation in a different capacity than what I've been.
Speaker 1:Well, dirk, it's been great to visit with you today. You're obviously a wonderful part of our community and we're glad that you're planning to stay here for a long period of time. And we're glad to bring this series of our Cornerstone Awardees with you here from the Greater Manhattan Community Foundation in our Philanthropy Today podcast series, and we ask you to continue to tune in wherever you get your podcasts and listen to great stories, like we've heard from Dirk today and all the other Cornerstone awardees, as we move forward. Thank you and we look forward to our next show. Thank you for joining us today where we look inside the Greater Manhattan Community Foundation. You can always learn more about GMCF at our website, mcfksorg. We invite you to subscribe to Philanthropy Today wherever you get your podcast. I am Vern Hendricks and have enjoyed hosting our Cornerstone Award Series in the Ad Astra Cast Studios here in downtown Manhattan, kansas.